Specimen examined
Lasut 180, 713 WALL; Koorders 19800 β BO; Kjellberg 3010, 1359 BO;
Eyma 1219 BO; Kurniawan 165 WALL. 58.3.
Microstegium glabratum A. Camus. Ann. Soc. Linn. Lyon, ser. 2, 68: 201.
1921. Plants annual, mat forming. Culms 10-50 cm long, rooting from lower nodes.
Ligule an eciliate membrane. Blades lanceolate, 4-11 cm by 3-11 mm, apex acuminate. Inflorescence composed of racemes. Racemes 4-10, digitate, 3-8 cm long.
Rachis fragile at the nodes, flattened, glabrous on margins; internodes filiform, 2-4 mm long. Spikelets appressed, in pairs: fertile spikelets sessile and pedicelled, 2 in the
cluster. Pedicels filiform, flattened, 2 mm long, glabrous. Fertile spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets, 1 fertile florets, without rachilla extension; lanceolate, 2-3 mm
long, dorsally compressed, falling entire, deciduous from the base; callus glabrous, base obtuse, attached transeversely. Glumes dissimilar, firmer than fertile lemma.
Lower glume elliptic, as long as the spikelet, coriaceous, 2-keeled; surface with a longitudinal median groove; apex obtuse. Upper glume elliptic, 1-keeled, 3-nerved;
apex attenuate, mucronate. Florets: basal sterile florets barren, without significant palea; lemma linear, 3 mm long, hyaline. Fertile lemma oblong, 1 mm long, hyaline,
no keel, no nerved; apex entire, acuminate, 1-awned; principal awn apical, or from a sinus, flexuous, 10-15 mm. Palea absent or minute. Anthers 2, 1 mm long.
Notes
Found in Malesia, Southwestern and Northwestern Pasific.
Distribution at Sulawesi
South: Malino, Mt. Galesong, Alt. 310 m.
Habitat Specimen examined
Bunnemeijer 10842 BO.
59. MISCANTHUS Anderss. Type: Miscanthus capensis Nees Andersson. Ofvers.
Forh. Kongl. Svenska Vetensk.-Akad. 12: 165. 1855; Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 9: 400. 1905.
Miscanthidium Stapf. Fl. Trop. Afr. 91: 89. 1917. Sclerostachya Anderss. ex Hack. A. Camus. Fl. Indo-Chine 7: 243. 1922.
Triarrhena Maxim. Nakai, J. Jap. Bot. 251-2: 7. 1950.
From the Greek mischos “a stalk, or pedicel”, and anthos “flower”, referring to both spikelets are stalked.
About 20 species, Africa, Asia, Pasific, and America. Plants perennial. Tall reed-like grasses, growing in clumps. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending;
internodes terete; lateral branches lacking, or sparse. Ligule an eciliate membrane, or a ciliolate membrane. Blade stiff, or firm; midrib widened; margin cartilaginous.
Inflorescence a panicle with long branches. Rachises not jointed. Pedicels of spikelets paired, unequal. Spikelets jointed to pedicels, bisexual, all alike, arranged in
compound racemes along a central axis, awned, with a basal callus bearing many fine hairs. Lower glume nearly flatt with inflexed margins. Upper glume more convex.
Lower floret neuter, lemma very thin. Upper floret hermaphrodite, lemma thin, its apex cleft with a slender awn in the sinus. Palea present, small. Stamens 2, or 3.
59.1.
Miscanthus floridulus Labill. Warb. Fl. Schutzgeb. Sudsee 166. 1901.
Saccharum floridulum Labill. Sert. Austro-Caledon. 13, pl. 18. 1824. Plants perennial. Culms 2-4 m tall, 10-23 mm thick, erect, solid. Sheaths up to
45 cm long. Ligule up to 3 mm long, a fimbriate membrane. Blades 60-130 cm long by 2-5 cm wide, drooping, glabrous, margins serrulate, base cuneate. Inflorescence up
to 60 cm long by 25 cm wide, a panicle with long branches, many branches, often almost whorled, rachises glabrous with many spreading hairs up to 4 mm on the base
of the pedicel spikelets. Pedicels one long-pedicelled up to 5 cm long, one short- pedicelled up to 2 cm long and assosiated with the segment of the rachis subtending
the next pair above, this segment c. 7 cm long with a characteristic kneed bend at the level of the short-pedicelled spikelet. Spikelets c. 4-5 mm, not crowded, acute, basal
hairs white or purple, 5-11 mm long. Glumes similar. Lower glumes 4.4 mm long, acuminate, 3-nerved, the margins infolded about the 2 outer nerves, which are the
strongest and are continued to give an almost 2-pointed tip. Upper glumes 4.5 mm long, the shape same as lower glumes, 3-nerved with the midnerved strongest and
continued as an arista; lower lemma up to 4 mm long, 1-nerved or nerveless, hyaline, acute, finely ciliate in upper half ; palea nil; upper lemma up to 3 mm long, 3-nerved,
hyaline, margins minutely hairy, hollowed below, with the midnerve produced as a stout kneed and twisted awn, the lateral nerves forming slender terminal points, 2 cm
long plus awn up to 11 mm long which is basally in a lax spiral twist and apically is not rwisted, the latter part is being appreciably longer than the former; palea up to 2.5
mm long, a narrow scale, lanceolate, hyaline, with entire or irregularly dentate apex. Stamens 3. Anthers 1.4 mm long. Stigma plumose, purple.
Notes
Found in China, Eastern Asia, Indo-China, Malesia, and Pasific. Extremely dense grass vegetation on bare rock in the vicinity of solfataras area contaminated with
sulphur; vegetation forming grass to 5 m high, locally gregarious, inflorescence dull violet.
Distribution at Sulawesi
North: Mt. Soputan; Mt. Ambang; Mt. Kalabat; Tomohon; Tonsea Lama; Pinamorongan; Amurang; Kayuwatu. Central: Toli-Toli; Luwuk; Sidaenta-Tomado.
South: Mt. Bawakaraeng; Luwu; Mts. Lompobatang, Alt. 1790. Habitat
Andesit, volcanic area.
Specimen examined
Posthumus 3460, 3502, 2745 BO; Kjelberg 3700 BO, Eyma 3798, 1526 BO; Koorders 19815
β, 17257 β, 17260 β, 19776 β, 19807 β, 17259 β BO; Bloembergen 4221 BO; Bunnemeijer 11632 BO, Teysman 13747, 14126, 13746
BO; Vogel Vermeulen 7282 BO, Wisse 7 BO, Meijer and Muchtar 11411 BO; Lasut 1001 WALL.
60.
MNESITHEA Kunth. Type: Mnesithea laevis Retz. Kunth. Revis. Gramin. 1:
153. 1829. Coelorachis Brongn. Voy. Monde 2: 64, f. 14. 1829.
Hackelochloa Kuntze. Revis. Gen. Pl. 2: 776. 1891.
Named in honour to the Greek herbalist Mnesitheus. About 5 species, India, Ceylon, Indo-China, and Malesia. Plants perennial.
Culms erect, robust. Lateral branches ample. Ligule an eciliate membrane, or a ciliolate membrane. Inflorescence of glabrous racemes borne terminally on main axis
and branches. Rachis breaking up readily. Spikelets in 3’s, 1 pedicelled and reduced, neuter, 2 sessile, hermaphrodite, unawned.
Key to the Species
1.a. Plants annual ........................................................60.2. Mnesithea granularis
b. Plants perennial ................................................................................................2 2.a. Culms 150-250 cm long; racemes up to 15 cm long; rachis angular; spikelets
appressed, in pairs ...............................................60.1. Mnesithea glandulosa
b. Culms 50-100 cm long; racemes up to 20 cm long; rachis subcylindrical;
spikelets sunken, in threes ............................................60.3. Mnesithea laevis
60.1.
Mnesithea glandulosa Trin. de Koning Sosef. Blumea 312: 290. 1986
Coelorachis glandulosa Trin Ridl. Fl. Malay. Penin. 5: 204. 1925; Blumea 312: 281-307. 1986.
Plants perennial. Culms 120-250 cm long, erect. Sheaths glabrous on surface. Ligule 1 mm long, a ciliolate membrane. Blades 30-65 cm by 20-40 mm, linear, base
rounded, margins scaberulous, apex acuminate. Inflorescence composed of racemes, terminal and axillary, subtended by a spatheole, exserted; spatheole linear. Racemes 1,
single, smoothly terete, 8-15 cm long. Rachis fragile at the nodes, angular, glabrous on surface, internodes cuneate, 3-5 mm long. Spikelets appressed, in pairs, sessile and
pedicelled spikelets. Sessile spikelets 5 mm long, oblong, dorsally compressed, falling entire; callus pubescent; base truncate, attached transversely. Glumes dissimilar,
exceeding apex of florets. Lower glume ovate, as long as spikelet, indurate, 2-keeled, winged on keel, 7-nerved, surface with hooked spines, apex acute. Upper glume
oblong, chartaceous, 1-keeled, winged on keel, 3-nerved, surface puberulous. Pedicelled spikelets 1.6 mm long, ovate, rudimentary, comprising 2 subequal glumes
without lemmas, persistent; glumes winged on keels. Florets of pedicelled spikelets with palea. Lemma ovate, hyaline, 3-nerved, ciliolate on margins; palea 0.7 length of
lemma. Florets of sessile spikelets lemma 2.6 mm long, elliptic, hyaline, no keel, 3- nerved; palea 0.8 length of lemma.
Notes Found in Indo-China, and Malesia. Tall clumped grass by roadside in disturbed
vegetation. Distribution at Sulawesi
North: Minahasa, Amurang, Popareng; Talaud, Karakelang, Beo, Alt. 100 m. Central: NE Luwuk, on road from Biak to Poso, Alt. 200 m, 0
49’S 122 50’ E.
Southeast: Kendari, Poehara, Alt. 50 m. Habitat
Forest on raised coraline limestone; river bank.
Specimen examined
Koorders 17282 β BO; Kjellberg 683 BO; Coode 5804 BO; Lam 2620
BO. 60.2.
Mnesithea granularis L. de Koning Sosef. Blumea 312: 295. 1986.
Hackelochloa granularis L. Kunth. Revis. Gen. Pl. 2: 776. 1891. Plants annual. Culms 5-100 cm long, erect. Nodes bearded. Sheaths loose, or
inflated, hirsute, with tubercle-based hairs. Ligule a ciliolate membrane. Blades 3-15 cm by 3-12 mm, margin ciliate, the surface hirsute, with tubercle-based hairs.
Inflorescence: synflorescence compound, scanty. Inflorescence composed of racemes, terminal and axillary, subtended by a spatheole, exserted, or embraced at base by
subtending leaf. Racemes 1, single, 1-1.5 cm long. Rachis fragile at the nodes, flattened; internodes oblong, 1 cm long, adherent to upper glume of sessile spikelet.
Spikelets appressed, in pairs: fertile spikelets sessile, 1 in the cluster; companion sterile spikelets pedicelled, 1 in the cluster. Pedicels fused to internodes, united wholy,
oblong. Fertile spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets, 1 fertile florets, without rachilla extension; orbicular, 2-2.5 cm long, dorsally compressed, falling entire,
deciduous with accesory branch stuctures; callus base truncate. Sterile spikelets: companion sterile spikelets well-developed, containing empty lemmas, ovate,
assymetrical, dorsally compressed, 1-2.5 mm long, as long as fertile, or longer than fertile, deciduous with the fertile; glumes herbaceous, winged on keels, distinctly
nerved, 5-7-nerved, smooth, glabrous, entire, acute, muticuous; lemmas 2, enclosed by glumes. Glumes dissimilar, exceeding apex of florets, firmer than fertile lemma;
orbicular, as long as spikelet, indurate, no keels. Lower glume surface rugose, or cancellate; apex obtuse. Upper glume oblong, cartilaginous, no keels, 3-nerved; apex
obtuse. Florets: basal sterile florets barren, no significant palea; lemma ovate, hyaline, no nerved, no midnerve, no lateral nerves, obtuse. Fertile lemma ovate, 1 mm long,
hyaline, no keels, no nerves; lemma apex obtuse. Palea hyaline, no nerves, no keels. Caryopsis with adherent pericarp, orbicular, dorsally compressed.
Notes
Found in Africa, Arabia, China, Eastern Asia, India, Indo-China, Malesia, Australia, Northwestern Pasific, Mexico, and Brazil.
Distribution at Sulawesi
North: Talaud, Beo. Central: Palu, area of Bayangah, Alt. 800 m; Toboli, Alt.
600 m. Southeast: Buton, Bau-bau, Alt. 0 m; Kendari, Alt. 0 m Habitat
“Ladangs”, opened area. Specimen examined
Leefmans s.n. BO; Meijer Noerta 10201 BO; leg. ign. 52 BO; Kjellberg 8, 820, 3721BO.
60.3. Mnesithea laevis Retz Kunth. Revis. Gramin. 1: 154. 1829.
